It can be a symptom of another condition. For example, someone with mobility problems may be physically unable to clear the huge amounts of clutter they have acquired, and people with learning disabilities or people developing dementia may be unable to categorise and dispose of items. In some cases, hoarding is a condition in itself and often associated with self-neglect. These people are more likely to:. Many people who hoard have strongly held beliefs related to acquiring and discarding things, such as: "I may need this someday" or "If I buy this, it will make me happy".
Others may be struggling to cope with a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one. Attempts to discard things often bring up very strong emotions that can feel overwhelming, so the person hoarding often tends to put off or avoid making decisions about what can be thrown out. Often, many of the things kept are of little or no monetary value and may be what most people would consider rubbish.
The person may keep the items for reasons that are not obvious to other people, such as for sentimental reasons, or feeling the objects appear beautiful or useful.
Most people with a hoarding disorder have a very strong emotional attachment to the objects. Many people collect items such as books or stamps, and this is not considered a problem. The difference between a "hoard" and a "collection" is how these items are organised. A collection is usually well ordered, and the items are easily accessible. A hoard is usually very disorganised, takes up a lot of room and the items are largely inaccessible.
For example, someone who collects newspaper reviews may cut out the reviews they want and organise them in a catalogue or scrapbook. Someone who hoards may keep large stacks of newspapers that clutter their entire house and mean it's not actually possible to read any of the reviews they wanted to keep. Hoarding can start as early as the teenage years and gets more noticeable with age. For many, hoarding becomes more problematic in older age, but the problem is usually well established by this time.
It's thought that around 1 or 2 people in every have a problem with hoarding that seriously affects their life. The overall prevalence of hoarding disorder is approximately 2. The prevalence and features of hoarding appear to be similar across countries and cultures. The bulk of evidence suggests that hoarding occurs with equal frequency in men and women.
Hoarding behavior begins relatively early in life and increases in severity with each decade. Hoarding disorder can cause problems in relationships, social and work activities, and other important areas of functioning. Potential consequences of serious hoarding include health and safety concerns, such as fire hazards, tripping hazards, and health code violations. It can also lead to family strain and conflicts, isolation and loneliness, unwillingness to have anyone else enter the home, and an inability to perform daily tasks, such as cooking and bathing in the home.
Specific symptoms for a hoarding diagnosis include American Psychiatric Association, :. The hoarding causes major distress or problems in social, work or other important areas of functions including maintaining a safe environment for self and others. Mental health professionals may also ask permission to speak with friends and family to help make a diagnosis or use questionnaires rating scales to help assess level of functioning. Some individuals with hoarding disorder may recognize and acknowledge that they have a problem with accumulating possessions; others may not see a problem.
Excessive acquisition occurs in the vast majority of cases and—although not a core diagnostic feature—should be carefully monitored.
In addition to the core features of difficulty discarding and clutter, many people with hoarding disorder also have associated problems such as indecisiveness, perfectionism, procrastination, disorganization and distractibility. These associated features can contribute greatly to their problems with functioning and the overall severity. Animal hoarding may form a special type of hoardindisordder and involves an individual acquiring large numbers dozens or even hundreds of animals.
The animals may be kept in an inappropriate space, potentially creating unhealthy, unsafe conditions for the animals. People who hoard animals typically show limited insight regarding the problem. The cause of hoarding disorder is unknown. Due to its recent classification, the neurobiology of hoarding disorder in humans is a newly burgeoning field; making it somewhat premature to draw firm conclusions. People with hoarding disorder may not see it as a problem, making treatment challenging.
But intensive treatment can help people with hoarding disorder understand how their beliefs and behaviors can be changed so that they can live safer, more enjoyable lives. Getting and saving an excessive number of items, gradual buildup of clutter in living spaces and difficulty discarding things are usually the first signs and symptoms of hoarding disorder, which often surfaces during the teenage to early adult years. As the person grows older, he or she typically starts acquiring things for which there is no immediate need or space.
By middle age, symptoms are often severe and may be harder to treat. Problems with hoarding gradually develop over time and tend to be a private behavior. Often, significant clutter has developed by the time it reaches the attention of others. Hoarding disorder is different from collecting. People who have collections, such as stamps or model cars, deliberately search out specific items, categorize them and carefully display their collections.
Although collections can be large, they aren't usually cluttered and they don't cause the distress and impairments that are part of hoarding disorder. People who hoard animals may collect dozens or even hundreds of pets. Animals may be confined inside or outside.
Because of the large numbers, these animals often aren't cared for properly. The health and safety of the person and the animals are at risk because of unsanitary conditions. If you or a loved one has symptoms of hoarding disorder, talk with a doctor or mental health professional as soon as possible. Some communities have agencies that help with hoarding problems. Check with the local or county government for resources in your area.
A doctor may prescribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor to help with the condition. These medications are typically used to treat other mental health conditions. Supporting a person affected by HD can be challenging. HD can cause strain between the affected person and loved ones. But the hoarding will likely continue without proper guidance and intervention.
Hoarding disorder is a diagnosable condition that requires the help of a medical professional. With professional help and time, a person may be able to move on from their hoarding behaviors and reduce dangerous and tension-inducing clutter in their personal space.
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